LOS ANGELES - Hollywood icon Julia Roberts angrily gave chase to a car carrying paparazzi photographers after spotting them filming her near a school, reports said Thursday. The actress raced after the photographers in her Mercedes sports utility vehicle, blasting them with her horn and gesturing the lensmen to pull over, in footage broadcast by syndicated television show "Inside Edition."

The 40-year-old Oscar-winning star of "Pretty Woman" and "Erin Brockovich" then angrily scolds the photographers for allegedly filming her near a school, ordering them to turn off a video camera filming her.

"Turn it off," Roberts tells the photographers. "I want to talk to you about the fact that you're at a school where children go. Turn it off."

The incident is the latest flashpoint involving celebrities and members of the Los Angeles paparazzi.

Actor George Clooney last week hit out at paparazzi "bounty-hunters," accusing them of risking the safety of innocent bystanders in their pursuit of celebrity photos.

Clooney, who was also involved in a filmed altercation with photographers earlier this month, said paparazzi often broke the law while chasing their targets.

"What they're doing is illegal, it's high-speed chases and they're competing with each other," Clooney said.

"They're not trying to catch me doing something stupid; they're trying to create me doing something stupid. You don't get to break all these laws and then say, 'I'm just doing my job.'"

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. -- Southern California police said 1991 police beating victim Rodney King has been shot, but the wounds are not life-threatening.

Rialto police Sgt. Don Lewis told the Riverside Press-Enterprise that King was hit in the face and arm by shotgun pellets on a San Bernardino street corner Wednesday night. He bicycled to his home in Rialto to call police and was taken to a hospital.

Police said when they arrived at the home, King and others there appeared drunk and few were cooperative in providing information.

San Bernardino police Lt. Scott Paterson tells the San Bernardino County Sun that the shooting may have involved a domestic dispute.

King was beaten by Los Angeles police in 1991 and the officers' subsequent acquittal on criminal charges sparked deadly rioting in 1992.

It's the time of the year which can be so wonderful.  If you want, the spirit of the season can fill you and be a part of everything you do.  I've downloaded quite a few holiday favorites including Faith Hill's "Where are you Christmas", Whitney Houston's "If I had One Wish", Celine Dion's "These are the Special Times", Kenny G's "White Christmas", and a few classic Jim Brickman's.  These songs always get me in the spirit.  I also like the song "Same Old Lang Syne" by Dan Folgelberg.  It is probably my most favorite song of all time.  The emotion and the sentimentality of the song speaks volumes to me.

I'm really excited about this release! Here are all the details and remember to sign up for updates at www.michaeljackson.com

You can join the discussion here

EPIC RECORDS/LEGACY RECORDINGS UNVEIL
THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION
OF MICHAEL JACKSON'S THRILLER
THE WORLD'S BIGGEST SELLING ALBUM OF ALL TIME

* * * * *
Epic/Legacy Recordings proudly celebrates the 25th anniversary of Michael Jackson's Thriller, the world's biggest-selling album of all time, with a newly expanded deluxe edition of the phenomenal record-breaking pop culture touchstone, available worldwide the week of February 11, 2008.

The Michael Jackson Thriller 25th anniversary celebration kicks off in December 2007 and continues throughout 2008 with the release of a new single and a multi-faceted global marketing campaign featuring high-profile television, radio and online events around the world.

The Thriller - 25th Anniversary Edition will include the original album in its entirety as well as eight bonus tracks and a DVD featuring Michael Jackson's groundbreaking short films from Thriller ("Thriller," "Beat It," and "Billie Jean") and the artist's Emmy-nominated breakout performance of "Billie Jean" from the legendary "Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever" television special (first broadcast on NBC on May 16, 1983).

The newly expanded version of Thriller premieres five tracks previously unreleased in any form: a new Kanye West remix of "Billie Jean"; a new 2008 version of "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" with Akon and will.i.am; will.i.am remixes of "The Girl Is Mine" and "P.Y.T."; and "For All Time," a rare unreleased cut from the original Thriller recording sessions, newly mixed and mastered by Michael Jackson.

Additional bonus material on the Thriller - 25th Anniversary Edition includes "Someone In The Dark," "Carousel," and Michael Jackson's original demo recording of "Billie Jean."

The deluxe Thriller - 25th Anniversary Edition packaging contains a personal greeting from Michael Jackson to his fans penned exclusively for this special release.

Originally released 25 years ago early December 1982 by Epic Records, Thriller, Michael Jackson's sixth solo album and second with producer Quincy Jones, rocketed the former child-star lead singer for the Jackson 5 into the stratosphere of international superstardom. Introducing the "robot" and the "moonwalk" into the international lexicon of clubland dance moves via the pulsing sounds of Thriller, Michael Jackson revolutionized all aspects of mainstream pop culture -- from radio airwaves to the newly emerging art form of music videos -- becoming the world's most popular entertainer in the process.

The original Thriller spent an astounding 80 consecutive weeks in the American Top 10, 37 of those at #1. Seven of the album's original nine tracks became Top 10 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 while Individual singles from Thriller reached #1 chart positions in the US, the UK, France, Italy, Australia, Denmark, Belgium, South Africa, Spain, Ireland, New Zealand and Canada.

Thriller made history as the first and only record to be America's top-selling album two years running (1983 and 1984).

Thriller has been certified 27x platinum by the RIAA, giving it Double Diamond Award status in the US. In addition, the album has achieved Diamond or Multi-Platinum status in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Belgium, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland and the UK. Thriller was named the Best Selling Album of All Time by the Guinness Book of Records in 1985.

In February 1984, Michael Jackson held a record-breaking 12 Grammy nominations, going on to win eight, which stands as the record for most Grammy Awards to be won by anyone in a single year. Seven of Michael's Grammys that year were for Thriller: Album of the Year; Record of the Year ("Beat It"); Best Male Pop Vocal Performance ("Thriller"); Best Engineered Recording, Non-Classical (Thriller); Best Male Rock Vocal Performance ("Beat It"); Best Male R&B Vocal Performance ("Billie Jean"); Best R&B Song ("Billie Jean"). (Michael's eighth Grammy that year was in the Best Recording For Children - Single or Album, Musical or Spoken category for "E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial"). That same year, Michael Jackson took home eight American Music Awards and three MTV Video Music Awards. The following year, "The Making of Michael Jackson's Thriller" took home the Best Video Album trophy at the 27th Annual Grammy Awards.

Named the "Most Successful Entertainer of All Time" by the Guinness World Records, Michael Jackson is among the most highly acclaimed and influential artists in pop culture. He was named the World Music Award's Best-Selling Pop Male Artist of the Millennium and received the American Music Award's Artist of the Century Award. He has been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame twice: in 1997 as a member of the Jackson 5 and as a solo artist in 2001.

Thriller - original track listing - US Billboard Chart Peaks
"Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" - (#5 Hot 100, #5 R&B)
"Baby Be Mine"
"The Girl Is Mine" (with Paul McCartney) - (#2 Hot 100, #1 R&B, #1 Adult Contemporary)
Thriller" - (#4 Hot 10, #3 Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks)
"Beat It" - (#1 Hot 100, #1 R&B)
"Billie Jean" - (#1 Hot 100, #1 R&B, #9 A/C)
"Human Nature" - (#7 Hot 100, #2 Adult Contemporary)
"P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)" - (#10 Hot 100)
"The Lady in My Life"

Bonus Material:
10. Someone In the Dark ^
11. Billie Jean (Michael Jackson's original demo recording) ^
12. Carousel ^

Previously Unreleased Tracks For 25th Anniversary Edition
13. The Girl Is Mine 2008 with will.i.am*
14. P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) 2008 with Michael Jackson and will.i.am*
15. Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' 2008 with Michael Jackson, Akon and will.i.am*
16. Billie Jean 2008 with Kanye West*
17. For All Time (unreleased track from original Thriller sessions)*

^From 2001 Thriller Special Edition
*-previously unreleased

Bonus DVD

The Videos

1. Thriller
2. Beat It
3. Billie Jean
4. Billie Jean performance from Motown 25: Yesterday, Today and Forever

25th Anniversary Executive Producer: Michael Jackson
Original Album Produced by Quincy Jones

http://sonybmg.com.au/cd/releaseDetails.do?catalogueNo=88697179872

For those of you who are fans of local Nashville artist Will Hoge, this post is directed at you. As you know by pre-ordering Will's latest CD, a nifty free gift was to be included: a bonus live CD. Guess who got their copy today?

I waited for what seemed like forever for this disc. The waiting was only intensified when I read a post on CJ's other blog about his job when he got to meet Will and bassist Adam Beard.

It is titled On The Road With Will Hoge | Limited Edition Live Recording and appears that it will be part one of a series as it has a number 1 plastered on the disc itself. I am about halfway through listening to this and I think I like it more than the studio versions. Hopefully you will get your copy soon.

Here is a live version of one his newer tracks, "The Highway's Home":

Here is a clip of one of my favorite tunes he does live, "The Man Who Killed Love":

Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen have put their 53 window,12 room 5,725-square-foot West Village penthouse at One Morton Square for $11.995 million. City records show that they paid $7.3 million in December 2004 but have been renting the penthouse out for some time now for $35,000 a month. It's great to be rich!

To find out how much the Olsen Twins are worth click here.

Source 

Please take the advice that all of your past young and brilliant interns have given you: get your own fucking spin (um, and CONCEPT) on a cover. Recycling is cool. But not in glossy print. On a cover.

Think of something new.

Please mmmkay thanx.

Best,
Atherton Bartelby

Also, really, Christina? Marie Claire? Christina why can't you...?!?!

I know I haven't blogged in a while, and I know that posting a YouTube video is usually a cop-out, I truly believe that this video deserves some sort of recognition. Before I my thoughts, though, please watch the video.

Alright. Have you watched it? Good. Let's begin.

1. The entire video looks like it's being played on a VHS tape. I don't know why that seems cool, but it does in the context of the video. Although it's minor, it really helps add to the retro look and feel of the video.
2. Snoop Dogg is playing a keytar, and singing through it, ala Peter Frampton and his guitar. Is this actually Snoop Dogg? It just seems so out of character for him - at least how I think of him - but extremely interesting nonetheless.
3. The entire video was filmed to look retro. However, how much do you think it really cost? Did they actually go the low-budget route, or did they have a high budget and used it to make the video look old and retro. Personally, I'm not sure.
4. I just can't get over that Snoop Dogg is playing a keytar.
5. That floating bed, and his little turban in that scene is hilarious.
6. Snoop Dogg is looking more and more like Dolemite every day.

So, yes. I'm not really sure what to think of this video. The song is catchy, and the video is interesting, if not cool (I'm still not decided). What do you think?
I saw this video off of Travis' blog first, so I guess he should get some credit. Here ya go, bud.

George H.W. Bush 12 Years Old, ca. 07/13/1937
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